Transcript Jupiter and Saturn Guiding Questions 1. Why are there important differences between the atmospheres of Jupiter and Saturn? 2.

Jupiter and Saturn
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Guiding Questions
1. Why are there important differences between the atmospheres
of Jupiter and Saturn?
2. What is going on in Jupiter’s Great Red Spot?
3. What is the nature of the multicolored clouds of Jupiter and
Saturn?
4. What does the chemical composition of Jupiter’s atmosphere
imply about the planet’s origin?
5. How do astronomers know about the deep interiors of Jupiter
and Saturn?
6. How do Jupiter and Saturn generate their intense magnetic
fields?
7. Why would it be dangerous for humans to visit certain parts of
the space around Jupiter?
8. How was it discovered that Saturn has rings?
9. Are Saturn’s rings actually solid bands that encircle the planet?
10.How uniform and smooth are Saturn’s rings?
11. How do Saturn’s satellites affect the character of its rings?
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Jupiter and Saturn are the most massive
planets in the solar system
• Jupiter and Saturn are
both much larger than
Earth
• Each is composed of 71%
hydrogen, 24% helium,
and 5% all other elements
by mass
• Both planets have a
higher percentage of
heavy elements than does
the Sun
• Jupiter and Saturn both
rotate so rapidly that the
planets are noticeably
flattened
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Unlike the terrestrial planets, Jupiter and Saturn
exhibit differential rotation
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Atmospheres
• The visible “surfaces” of Jupiter
and Saturn are actually the tops
of their clouds
• The rapid rotation of the planets
twists the clouds into dark belts
and light zones that run parallel
to the equator
• The outer layers of both planets’
atmospheres show differential
rotation
– The equatorial regions rotate
slightly faster than the polar
regions
• For both Jupiter and Saturn, the
polar rotation rate is nearly the
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same as the internal rotation rate
Spacecraft images show remarkable activity
in the clouds of Jupiter and Saturn
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Storms
• Both Jupiter and Saturn
emit more energy than
they receive from the
Sun
• Presumably both planets
are still cooling
• The colored ovals visible
in the Jovian
atmosphere represent
gigantic storms
• Some, such as the Great
Red Spot, are quite
stable and persist for
many years
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Storms in Saturn’s atmosphere seem to
be shorter-lived
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The internal heat of Jupiter and Saturn has
a major effect on the planets’ atmospheres –
where has this energy come from?
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Space probes have explored Jupiter’s and
Saturn’s atmosphere
• There are presumed to be three cloud layers in the
atmospheres of Jupiter and Saturn
• The reasons for the distinctive colors of these
different layers are not yet known
• The cloud layers in Saturn’s atmosphere are spread
out over a greater range of altitude than those of
Jupiter, giving Saturn a more washed-out appearance
• Saturn’s atmosphere contains less helium than
Jupiter’s atmosphere
• This lower abundance may be the result of helium
raining downward into the planet
• Helium “rainfall” may also account for Saturn’s
surprisingly strong heat output
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iClicker Question
•
A
B
C
D
E
Saturn's density is
higher than Jupiter's density.
highest of the gas giants.
lowest because of its mass.
is lowest because of its gravity.
so low you could float it in water.
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iClicker Question
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Voyager 1 and 2 made major discoveries
about Jupiter including
A the fact that Jupiter has a ring.
B the fact that Jupiter's red spot has
complex eddies, like a hurricane on Earth.
C the fact that Jupiter's moons are as varied
as the planets themselves.
D All of the above.
E None of the above
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iClicker Question
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A
B
C
Saturn gives off more heat than it absorbs
because of its enormous mass.
because its methane is a greenhouse gass.
because its thick clouds contribute to heat
generation.
D because of helium rain that gives off heat
as it falls to center.
E because it is radiating heat left over from
its formation.
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iClicker Question
•
A
B
C
D
E
Saturn has oval storm systems and
turbulent flow patterns
powered by the greenhouse effect.
powered by convection and rapid
rotation.
powered by liquid hydrogen.
powered by metallic hydrogen rotating
at high velocity.
powered by the rings of Saturn.
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The oblateness of Jupiter and Saturn reveals
their rocky cores
• Jupiter probably has a rocky
core several times more massive
than the Earth
• The core is surrounded by a
layer of liquid “ices” (water,
ammonia, methane, and
associated compounds)
• On top of this is a layer of
helium and liquid metallic
hydrogen and an outermost layer
composed primarily of ordinary
hydrogen and helium
• Saturn’s internal structure is
similar to that of Jupiter, but its
core makes up a larger fraction
of its volume and its liquid
metallic hydrogen mantle is
shallower than that of Jupiter
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iClicker Question
Jupiter is noticeably oblate
A mainly because of its strong magnetic
field.
B mainly because of its distance from
the Sun.
C mainly because of rapid rotation.
D mainly because of the tidal effects of
its moons.
E mainly because of its large mass.
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iClicker Question
• Jupiter emits more energy than it absorbs
A due to the helium rain falling in.
B due to the escape of gravitational energy
released during its formation.
C due to the decay of radioactive elements.
D due to a small amount of fusion in its core.
E due to the generation of heat from tidal
forces.
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iClicker Question
Jupiter is believed to have a massive core
A where fusion takes place.
B consisting of liquid hydrogen.
C consisting of gaseous hydrogen and
helium.
D consisting of metallic hydrogen.
E consisting of rocky material.
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Metallic hydrogen inside Jupiter and Saturn
endows the planets with strong magnetic fields
• Jupiter and Saturn have strong magnetic fields created by
currents in the metallic hydrogen layer
• Jupiter’s huge magnetosphere contains a vast current sheet
of electrically charged particles
• Saturn’s magnetic field and magnetosphere are much less
extensive than Jupiter’s
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Jupiter and Saturn have extensive magnetospheres
• The Jovian magnetosphere encloses a low-density plasma of charged
particles
• The magnetosphere exists in a delicate balance between pressures from
the plasma and from the solar wind
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• When this balance is disturbed, the size of the magnetosphere
fluctuates drastically
Synchrotron Radiation
Charged particles in the densest portions of Jupiter’s
magnetosphere emit synchrotron radiation at radio
wavelengths
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iClicker Question
Jupiter emits radio waves
A caused by charged particles moving in
its magnetic field.
B caused by metallic hydrogen in the
mantle.
C massive gravitational forces.
D caused by the Great Red Spot.
E large Coriolis forces on the
atmosphere.
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Earth-based observations reveal three broad rings
encircling Saturn
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iClicker Question
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A
B
C
Saturn has a magnetic field
caused by rapid rotation of methane clouds.
caused by rapid rotation of nitrogen clouds.
caused by rapid rotation of metallic
hydrogen.
D caused by rapid rotation of molecular
hydrogen.
E caused by rapid rotation of water ice.
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• Saturn is circled by a system of thin, broad rings lying in the plane of
the planet’s equator
• This system is tilted away from the plane of Saturn’s orbit, which
causes the rings to be seen at various angles by an Earth-based
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observer over the course of a Saturnian year
Saturn’s rings are composed of numerous icy
fragments, while Jupiter’s rings are made of
small rocky particles
• The principal rings of Saturn are composed of
numerous particles of ice and ice-coated rock ranging
in size from a few micrometers to about 10 m
• Jupiter’s faint rings are composed of a relatively
small amount of small, dark, rocky particles that
reflect very little light
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• Most of its rings exist inside the Roche limit of Saturn, where
disruptive tidal forces are stronger than the gravitational forces
attracting the ring particles to each other
• Each of Saturn’s major rings is composed of a great many narrow
ringlets
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The faint F ring, which is just outside the A ring, is kept
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narrow by the gravitational pull of shepherd satellites
Saturn’s rings consist of thousands of narrow,
closely spaced ringlets
[N.B. – False Color image]
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Saturn’s inner satellites affect the appearance
and structure of its rings
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iClicker Question
•
A
B
C
D
The rings of Saturn
are solid rings around Saturn.
lie within the Roche limit of Saturn.
lie outside the Roche limit of Saturn.
lie precisely at the Roche limit of
Saturn.
E are not visible from Earth-bound
telescopes.
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iClicker Question
• Saturn's famous rings are
A composed of complex carbohydrates.
B composed of a solid thin disk of
material.
C composed mostly of rocky boulders.
D composed of a disk of liquid helium.
E composed mostly of icy particles
moving about Saturn.
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iClicker Question
• The Roche limit is an important concept
A that defines the maximum brightness a
moon be be.
B that defines the maximum mass a moon can
possess.
C that defines the maximum density of a
planets' ring system.
D that defines the critical distance from a
planet inside of which a moon can be tidally
destroyed.
E that defines the critical distance from a
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planet to its moon.
Jupiter’s and
Saturn’s Moons
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Guiding Questions
1. Are all the Galilean satellites made of rocky material, like the
Earth’s moon?
2. What could account for differences between the inner and
outer Galilean satellites?
3. Why does Io have active volcanoes? How does Io’s volcanic
activity differ from that on Earth?
4. How does Io act like an electric generator?
5. What is the evidence that Europa has an ocean beneath its
surface?
6. What is unusual about the magnetic fields of Ganymede and
Callisto?
7. How is it possible for Saturn’s moon Titan to have an
atmosphere?
8. Why do some of Jupiter’s moons orbit in the “wrong” direction?
9. What kinds of geologic activity are seen on Saturn’s mediumsized satellites?
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Jupiter’s Galilean satellites are easily
seen with Earth-based telescopes
• The four Galilean
satellites orbit
Jupiter in the
plane of its
equator
• All are in
synchronous
rotation
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• The two innermost Galilean satellites, Io and Europa, have
roughly the same size and density as our Moon
• They are composed principally of rocky material
• The two outermost Galilean satellites, Ganymede and
Callisto, are roughly the size of Mercury
• Lower in density than either the Moon or Mercury, they are
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made of roughly equal parts ice and rock
The Galilean satellites formed like a solar
system in miniature
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iClicker Question
•
A
B
C
D
E
The largest Jupiter moon is
Io.
Europa.
Callisto.
Ganymede.
Almathea.
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The Galilean satellites probably formed in a similar
fashion to our solar system but on a smaller scale
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Io is covered with colorful sulfur compounds ejected
from active volcanoes
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Tidal Heating
• The energy to heat Io’s
interior and produce the
satellite’s volcanic
activity comes from
tidal forces that flex
the satellite
• This tidal flexing is
aided by the 1:2:4 ratio
of orbital periods among
the inner three Galilean
satellites
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iClicker Question
•
A
B
C
D
E
The most geologically active moon is
Io.
Ganymede.
Europa.
Callisto.
Almathea.
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iClicker Question
•
A
B
C
D
E
Volcanic activity on the geologically
active moon of Jupiter is caused by
Jupiter's enormous mass.
tidal stresses from Jupiter alone.
tidal stresses from all other moons.
tidal stresses from Jupiter and
Europa.
Jupiter's enormous gravity.
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Jupiter’s magnetic field makes electric currents
flow through Io
• The Io torus is a ring of
electrically charged
particles circling
Jupiter at the distance
of Io’s orbit
• Interactions between
this ring and Jupiter’s
magnetic field produce
strong radio emissions
• Io may also have a
magnetic field of its
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own
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Europa is covered with a smooth layer of
ice that may cover a worldwide ocean
• While composed primarily of
rock, Europa is covered with
a smooth layer of water ice
• The surface has hardly any
craters, indicating a
geologically active history
• As for Io, tidal heating is
responsible for Europa’s
internal heat
• Minerals dissolved in this
ocean may explain Europa’s
induced magnetic field
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Other indications are a worldwide network of long cracks and
ice rafts that indicate a subsurface layer of liquid water or
soft ice
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Liquid water may also lie beneath the cratered
surfaces of Ganymede and Callisto
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Ganymede
• Ganymede is highly
differentiated, and
probably has a
metallic core
• It has a surprisingly
strong magnetic
field and a
magnetosphere of
its own
• While there is at
present little tidal
heating of
Ganymede, it may
have been heated in
this fashion in the
past
• An induced magnetic
field suggests that
it, too, has a layer of
liquid water beneath
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the surface
• Two types of terrain are found on the icy
surface of Ganymede:
– areas of dark, ancient, heavily cratered surface
– regions of heavily grooved, lighter-colored,
younger terrain
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• Callisto has a heavily cratered crust of water ice
• The surface shows little sign of geologic activity, because there was
never any significant tidal heating of Callisto
• However, some unknown processes have erased the smallest craters and
blanketed the surface with a dark, dusty substance
• Magnetic field data seem to suggest that Callisto has a shallow
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subsurface ocean
iClicker Question
•
In general what can be said about Jupiter's
moons?
A That all the moons were formed with
Jupiter.
B That some formed with Jupiter and some
were captured.
C That all the moons were captured by
Jupiter.
D That some moons formed in the inner solar
system.
E That all the moons are larger that the
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terrestrial planets.
Titan has a thick, opaque atmosphere rich
in methane, nitrogen, and hydrocarbons
• The largest Saturnian
satellite, Titan, is a
terrestrial world with a
dense nitrogen
atmosphere
• A variety of hydrocarbons
are produced there by the
interaction of sunlight
with methane
• These compounds form an
aerosol layer in Titan’s
atmosphere and possibly
cover some of its surface
with lakes of ethane 69
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Cassini’s
Huygens
Probe on
Titan
14 January 2005
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iClicker Question
• Saturn's moon Titan is most interesting
A because it possess an atmosphere like that
of today's Earth.
B because it possesses a thick atmosphere
that may be like primordial Earth's
atmosphere.
C because it has ice volcanism.
D because it is a large moon.
E because it demonstrates the Roche critical
limit.
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iClicker Question
•
A
B
C
D
E
Titan's atmosphere
consists mostly of hydrogen.
consists mostly of carbon dioxide.
consists mostly of sulfur.
consists mostly of methane.
consists mostly of nitrogen.
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Jupiter has dozens of small satellites that
have different origins
• As of early 2011, Jupiter has a
total of 63 known satellites
• In addition to the Galilean
satellites, Jupiter has four
small inner satellites that lie
inside Io’s orbit
• Like the Galilean satellites,
these orbit in the plane of
Jupiter’s equator
• The remaining satellites are
small and move in much larger
orbits that are noticeably
inclined to the plane of
Jupiter’s equator
• Many of these orbit in the
direction opposite to Jupiter’s
rotation
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The icy surfaces of Saturn’s six moderate-sized
moons provide clues to their histories
• As of early 2011, Saturn has
a total of 62 moons
• In addition to Titan, six
moderate-sized moons circle
Saturn in regular orbits:
Mimas, Enceladus, Tethys,
Dione, Rhea, and Iapetus
• They are probably composed
largely of ice, but their
surface features and
histories vary significantly
• The other, smaller moons
include shepherd satellites
that control the shapes of
Saturn’s rings and captured
asteroids in large retrograde
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orbits
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iClicker Question
• Saturn's moon Mimas
A has erratic orbital characteristics.
B has a thick atmosphere similar to
Earth's primordial atmosphere.
C apparently suffered a huge meteorite
impact that nearly shattered it.
D is the largest of Saturn's moons.
E is the smallest of Saturn's moons.
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iClicker Question
• Saturn has shepherd moons
A named for the astronaut Alan Shepherd.
B that even the Voyager spacecraft could
not detect.
C that are small moons which confine a
narrow ring.
D that are moons that are outside the
Roche limit.
E that are moons that orbit larger moons.
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iClicker Question
•
A
B
C
D
E
Most of Saturn's moons and Jupiter's
moons
are smaller than the moons of Mars.
are orbiting erratically.
are larger than the terrestrial planets.
are near the critical Roche distance.
are tidally locked by gravity into
synchronous rotation.
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Uranus, Neptune and Pluto
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Uranus was discovered by chance, but Neptune’s
existence was predicted by applying Newtonian
mechanics
• Uranus recognized as a planet in 1781 by
William Herschel
• Neptune’s position calculated in mid1840’s because of slight deviations in
Uranus’ orbit
• Credit shared by Le Verrier and Adams
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Uranus is nearly featureless and has an
unusually tilted axis of rotation
• Both Uranus and
Neptune have
atmospheres
composed primarily
of hydrogen, helium,
and a few percent
methane
• Methane absorbs
red light, giving
Uranus and Neptune
their greenish-blue
color
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Exaggerated Seasons On Uranus
• Uranus’s axis of rotation
lies nearly in the plane
of its orbit, producing
greatly exaggerated
seasonal changes on the
planet
• This unusual orientation
may be the result of a
collision with a
planetlike object early
in the history of our
solar system. Such a
collision could have
knocked Uranus on its
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side
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Neptune is a cold, bluish world with Jupiterlike
atmospheric features
• No white ammonia clouds are
seen on Uranus or Neptune
• Presumably the low
temperatures have caused
almost all the ammonia to
precipitate into the interiors
of the planets
• All of these planets’ clouds
are composed of methane
• • Much more cloud activity is
seen on Neptune than on
Uranus.
• This is because Uranus lacks
a substantial internal heat
source.
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Neptune’s Clouds
• Much more cloud
activity is seen on
Neptune than on
Uranus
• This is because
Uranus lacks a
substantial internal
heat source
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Uranus and Neptune contain a higher proportion
of heavy elements than Jupiter and Saturn
• Both Uranus and Neptune may have a rocky core
surrounded by a mantle of water and ammonia
• Electric currents in the mantles may generate the
magnetic fields of the planets
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The magnetic fields of both Uranus and
Neptune are oriented at unusual angles
• The magnetic axes of both Uranus and Neptune are
steeply inclined from their axes of rotation
• The magnetic and rotational axes of all the other
planets are more nearly parallel
• The magnetic fields of Uranus and Neptune are also
offset from the centers of the planets
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Uranus and Neptune each have a system of thin,
dark rings
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Some of Uranus’s satellites show evidence of
past tidal heating
Uranus has five satellites similar to the
moderate-sized moons of Saturn, plus at least
22 more small satellites (total now of 27 moons)
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Triton is a frigid, icy world with a young surface
and a tenuous atmosphere
• Neptune has 13
satellites, one of which
(Triton) is comparable in
size to our Moon or the
Galilean satellites of
Jupiter
• Triton has a young, icy
surface indicative of
tectonic activity
• The energy for this
activity may have been
provided by tidal heating
that occurred when
Triton was captured by
Neptune’s gravity into a
retrograde orbit
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Pluto and its moons, Charon is the largest, may
be typical of a thousand icy objects that orbit
far from the Sun
• Pluto was discovered after a long search
• Pluto and its moon, Charon, move together in a highly
elliptical orbit steeply inclined to the plane of the
ecliptic
• They are the only worlds in the solar system not yet 97
visited by spacecraft
Look at the light
light curves similar to light curves
of binary stars
Look at details of photographs
“bump” on Pluto image
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Pluto
Surprises
• It has moons
• Original moon discovered 1978
– Charon (KAIR’ en)
• Now more
– 2005 discovery of 2
additional moons
– Named Nix and Hydra
– 2011 #4 [P4] is Kerberos
– July 7, 2012 #5 [P5] is Styx
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Pluto’s History
• Planet X predicted
– from perturbations in Uranus and Neptune
orbit
• Discovered February 18, 1930
– discovered by Clyde Tombaugh
• accidental discovery (Neptune’s mass was wrong)
• First moon discovered 1978
(announced 7 July)
– discovered by James Christy
• Spectroscopic studies
– First attempt in ‘30s, first success in ‘70s
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Spectral Analysis
• Compare with known samples
• First conclusions
– methane ice
– water ice
– ammonia ice
• Develop models for surface to interior
– based upon spectral analyses and density
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Pluto’s Interior to Surface Model
• Model 1
– partially hydrated rock core
– water ice layer II
– predominant water ice layer I
• Model 2
– partially hydrated rock core
– organics layer
– predominantly water ice layer
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October 2014 - Beyond Neptune orbit
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iClicker Question
• Io is riddled with volcanoes because of
its proximity to Jupiter’s strong
magnetic field.
–A
–B
True
False
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iClicker Question
• Europa is likely to have fishlike
organisms the size of whales swimming
in its ocean.
–A
–B
True
False
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iClicker Question
• While Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto
are all candidate locations for life, we
expect that the most abundant and
diverse life would be found in Callisto.
–A
–B
True
False
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iClicker Question
• The fact that our Moon keeps one side
always facing Earth is an astonishing
coincidence.
–A
–B
True
False
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iClicker Question
• Titan is simply too cold to have any life.
–A
–B
True
False
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iClicker Question
• Triton might have life that uses liquid
ammonia, rather than liquid water, as its
transport medium.
–A
–B
True
False
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iClicker Question
• Io doesn’t have a significant atmosphere
because it lacks a source of outgassing.
–A
–B
True
False
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iClicker Question
• Orbital resonances like that between
Io, Europa and Ganymede are the
results of extremely rare accidents, so
we would not expect tidal heating to be
important in other planetary systems.
–A
–B
True
False
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iClicker Question
• If there is life on Enceladus, it probably
gets its energy from sunlight.
–A
–B
True
False
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iClicker Question
• If our solar system is typical, then
other star systems might have an
average of five to ten worlds on which
liquid water (or a mixture of water and
some other liquid) exists in at least
some places.
–A
–B
True
False
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